StrugglesInItaly's blog

The national forum “Salviamo il Paesaggio” (Save the Countryside) launches demonstrations across the country on Earth Day (April 21, 2013), to protest against the consumption and destruction of fertile soil.

Citizens of Niscemi in Sicily have been struggling for years against the proposed construction of the new MUOS station, a new satellite network serving the US Navy. Health hazard and environmental impact are the main concern of the population. On March 30, over 10,000 people took part in a protest demo. Meanwhile, activism and resistance are starting to pay off: on March 29, Sicilian Governor Rosario Crocetta permanently withdrew authorization to the project.

Another march took place in the heart of the Susa valley on Saturday March 23, 2013, organised by the NoTAV people together with local authorities and other local bodies, which have been part of this struggle since the beginning.

Federico Aldrovandi was only 18 years old when he died of police brutality in 2005. Unlike the majority of such cases, Federico's murder found justice as the four responsible agents were found guilty of excessive force leading to death earlier this year. On March 27, a group policemen members of the minority union COISP intimidated Federico's mother, Patrizia Moretti, by holding a protest sit-in right in front of her workplace.

Many of the most important warehouses in northern Italy blockaded and the logistics sector of three of the most industrialized regions paralysed: that’s the result of the 24-hour strike called by the SI COBAS union and the ADL COBAS union to demand a new national contract.

No-TAV activist have launched a demo for the 23rd of March. The demo will be the first public event of the movement since the last Italian's general elections, which completely reshaped the Italian Parliament. How will the newly elected Parliament members interact with the grassroots mobilization?

Cleaners at the Cisanello hospital in Pisa picketed their workplace for over three months, from October 2012 to January 2013. They were protesting the proposed cancellation of 78 jobs to comply with the cutbacks to healthcare spending. Their determination earned them the nickname of "lionesses," several tensions with local high ranking members of their union, and, eventually, victory against the contracting firm. Their resistance and solidarity shows that workers can still win in times of austerity.

Ten years after the murder of leftist militant Davide Cesare aka DAX, stabbed to death by fascists on March 16 2003, thousands of activists march in Milan to commemorate his death and to carry forward his ideals.

On March 11, 2013, Anonymous Italy took down the website of Casapound, a far-right extremist group that recently stood in the general political elections. The hackers claimed the anti-fascist nature of their act, while also demanding the immediate dissolution of the group, whose homofobic, racist and violent values are in patent contravention of the Italian laws, forbidding the reformation of the Fascist Party.

The defeat of Rivoluzione Civile (Civil Revolution, a newly-established party) in the recent elections was much worse than expected. The coalition led by Antonio Ingroia (a former public magistrate involved in the investigation about state-mafia dealings) had little appeal for the electorate nationally, receiving 2.25% of the vote for the Camera (lower house) and 1.79% for the Senate.

In the months before the Italian elections there was great concern that there might be a resurgence of support for fascist parties. There is certainly potential for such fear to become real: the economic and political crisis, strong popular dissatisfaction, unemployment, and widespread superficial racism. In this article, we look at the electoral results of the different Italian neo-fascist parties, while also charting recent events involving far right representatives and movements.

This is an interview by Roberto Ciccarelli, whom we thank, and it appears in today’s (Friday’s) issue of “Il Manifesto”. We couldn’t be more clear and straightforward than this. It synthesises what we think about the Movimento 5 Stelle (henceforth M5S) and about its relation to the crisis/absence of social movements.

Now that the Five Star Movement has made such an impression in the Italian national elections, we believe it is no longer possible to avoid examining this phenomenon in terms of a political vacuum that the movement, founded by Beppe Grillo and Gianroberto Casaleggio, fills with its presence. The M5S draws attention away from the fact that there is an absence of a true radical movement in Italy. The M5S takes up this empty space to ensure that this remains the case.

About this blog

Struggles in Italy provides information in English, Spanish, and French on current struggles in Italy. It strives to give an international echo to Italian social movements, and to promote information and awareness in languages other than Italian. It aims to be as transparent as possible about our sources and we expect our readers to do the same.
Struggles In Italy licensed under a Media Commons license: so take and share whatever you want, but, please, do cite it.

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